Chasing Buttercup
by OJR
Summary: Another mini-fic from OJR. Butch grows fond of Buttercup, but must steel himself to tell her. Now with the eagerly awaited second chapter!
1. Original Pain

OJR Presents

OJR Presents

**Chasing Buttercup**

**A PPG/RRB fic**

Author's note:This just came to me in a flash one night.Any Kevin Smith fans will recognise the scene a little.I'm going out on a limb but I'm kind of sing Sniper's version of events to begin with, only the green and red pairings have not occurred, vis a vis Boomer and Bubbles are an item but Butch and Buttercup aren't.Sorry for being lazy but this fic needs them to be friends but not in love, so continuity is the first thing to die.

Butch sat on his bed in his new home in Townsville.He laid back and sighed contentedly.

"Yeah, this is the shit dude!"he said aloud.The soft deep green covers wrapped around him like a warm embrace.He closed his eyes.The light doze overtook him quickly and he was soon dreaming.

"Buuuuutch…."The voice came from out of the blackness.He strained around to see.The darkness fizzled around him until it was a deep, cloudy mist.The voice continued.

"Buuuutch, I'm here sweetie…"The voice was very familiar.It was sweet and melodious but had a slight deep gravel to it, more husky than masculine.It called, siren like, to him.However, he didn't have to go looking for it.A shadowy figure sailed toward him.He recognised the figure, clad in a flowing white nightgown, instantly.

"Buttercup?"He looked quizzically at the raven-haired girl swooping toward him.His accelerated mental maturity giving him butterflies where every other five year old would be screaming about cooties.She looked divine, her sheer garb flowing about her, an aura surrounding her, her eyes sparkling, skin silken, lips… He shook his head and thought "Dude, I'm five!She's five!This is fubar!"He then realised that he didn't lust after her as such.He found her beautiful, more beautiful than any rare flower or artwork.But the feeling was just her proximity, even imagined.He'd felt it before, but belligerence and fear of being seen as 'wussy' halted it.However, all those defences were down, after Boomer and Bubbles started getting all lovey dovey.She gave him the 'look'.

"Butch…you're blushing."Her mitt touched his cheek, and a feeling of rainbows splashing in his head as she giggled."

"Buh…huh…ter?Ummm…"He babbled, wide eyed and frozen, the hardman of the Rowdyruffs, paralysed by just being near her.She leaned up and closed her eyes, her lips close to his, her breath spicy and warm…

He shot up with a start, his epiphany ended abruptly.Thoughts swam through his head, feelings locked inside burst through like a flood on a dam.The only thing that snapped him to reality was his brothers entering the room.

"Hey dude, you look like you saw a ghost."Brick looked a little concerned.Boomer, on the other hand, being Butch's twin and being in love himself with another "Child of X" saw the look on his face, the rumpled sheet and the blush and knew what it was.After all, he'd sat, dumbfounded, himself not long ago having just woken up.

"Dude!You were dreaming about Buttercup weren't you!"He beamed, although it was a little of a long shot.He wasn't disappointed as the shell shocked Butch turned in surprise.

"How…how did you…how could you know?"His face was a picture of bewilderment.

"You don't wake up from a dream in a sweat with a blush looking like a deer in headlights unless it's major.Anyhow, you don't get scared of nightmares and I only know one thing that could shake the hard ass Butch…that green puff!"He grinned triumphantly.He'd nailed it and knew that Butch was head-over-heels, prime time, grade A in love with Buttercup.Butch broke into a soppy grin, forgetting his pride for once and clasping Boomer by the shoulders.

"Bro!You gots to tell me how to woo that puff!I gotta know!"

"Geez, calm down man, you'll give yourself a hernia!Alls I can say is tell her.Just pick a moment and tell her.I'm sure she'll say yes."At this, Brick had to interject.

"I dunno, we did try to kill them, remember?"He looked a little sceptical."She may have forgiven you, but you'll have a hard time convincing her.Remember how cold Blossom was to me when we first came onto the scene?"This was well noted but Butch was undeterred.

"Hey, I'm Butch, I ain't afraid of nothin'!"He was a tad overconfident when he said this but his heart was set now.

"Well, she's coming over with her sisters today, and time and tide wait for no man, bro."Brick slapped his brother on the back, internally wishing him luck.He didn't want to see his brother get burned but, judging by Boomer's situation, they'd get on like a house on fire.

Surely enough they arrived, Bubbles, Boomer, Brick and Blossom retreated to the boy's room.Butch approached Buttercup.She was holding a football and grinned at him.

"Hey Butch, you wanna go throw some pigskin?"She smiled at him.

"Uh sure…"He was already a little giddy from being around her, like she was giving off some kind of pheromone.They wandered into the back yard and started to play.They threw the ball at incredible speed, at which nobody without super reflexes and speed would be able to catch.After a short while Butch decided that the time was right and he approached Buttercup.

"Hey, getting tired?I haven't even broken a sweat yet."She grinned, in a manner that made his stomach do back flips.

"Buttercup…there's something I have to tell you…it's a little hard to say…so don't interrupt before I finish or I'll never get it all out."She looked at him, inquiry and a little doubt scored her previously smiling features.He began, taking a deep breath before almost blurting out his confession.

"Buttercup…since I've met you I've felt a certain way…What I mean to say is I love you…"Her face turned to a look of shock, almost approaching terror, a mitt to her mouth.He continued with his speech, passion building in his words, emotion spilling into his eyes.He choked the tears back as he spoke, with more maturity and vibrance than any of his peers could muster.

"I can't tell you how it's hurt me…hurt to just stand by as I loved you…not knowing what you felt.I've hidden it till now.I know we've gotten close friends…and I know you're probably hating me for this…but I'm willing to risk it all to take it to the next level.And if there's any hesitation…think about it…and don't throw me away."He fell silent.Her face was unmoving.Expectancy played across his feature, which was already a little red from the emotion of it.She looked like she was going to speak, but instead she shot off into the heavens.He stood, paralysed with a mix of fear and disappointment before steeling himself to chase her.He caught her easily and grabbed her arm.She wheeled on him, tears streaking her face.

"What the hell are you trying to pull huh?"She screamed at him, her voice cracking and her shock pouring out through the words.Her fevered rant continued.

"Who do you think you are!?Have you forgotten who the fuck I am!?I'm a Powerpuff Girl, I've got responsibilities!I was happy as it was!We were friends, nothing more!Couldn't you leave it at that?You expect me to turn my whole life upside down just because you've got a fucking crush!?You were trying to kill me a few weeks ago for Christ's sake!And you expect me to just forget all that?"He recoiled at her harsh words, each one like a razorblade at his heart.He dumbly looked at her and stated matter-of-factly

"If this is a crush I don't think I could handle the real thing."He felt the pricks behind his eyes.Buttercup, on the other hand was screaming through her tears.

"WHAT?!It's okay for you, you insensitive jerk!It's just a switch for you and stuff but for me?It's a change in my whole life!It was just me, my sisters and the Professor!You just think you can waltz in like that?!"She turned away and looked ready to fly off.He grabbed her arm again.

"Can't you find a place to love me somewhere?"he said hopefully.She span round, her wet eyes ablaze and smacked his cheek, hard.He recoiled and she growled her final words through her sobs.

"Love you?I HATE YOU!"She zoomed off as it began to rain.Now it was Butch who was shocked.The slap had hurt, but the words were like a knife in the stomach.He felt ill and the rain mixed with the first tears that had ever rolled down his cheeks.Her declaration of hate echoed through his mind.He sank to the floor, then to his knees, splatting in the wet grass.He began to wail into the floor, crying rage and sorrow while smacking the ground, splitting it open and shaking the trees.He gathered himself up enough to sit on the grass, sobbing softly.He, the hard, the brave, the fearless…reduced to a wreck.He felt like a bad joke.He managed to crack a hollow smile in his sorrow.

"Guess the fairy tales are wrong…"Happy ever after, he could almost laugh at the cliché.

AN:Well, yes, depressing, but the lovey dovey stuff needs to be counteracted.R&R if you have anything to say.I know it's not massively in character, and could easily be part of a bigger story.So if you wanna use the scene, ask me and you'll most likely get a yes.


	2. Phase The Second

OJR Presents  
Chasing Buttercup Phase the Second  
A PPG/RRB fic  
  
Author's note: Ah well, so I've got no morals or willpower. I was determined   
to let this stand but I've been manoeuvred by forces unknown into doing a   
'sequel' of sorts. Anyway, this is gonna be a bit angsty, a bit funny, a bit   
depressing, but on the whole a feel good fic. At the time of writing this I don't   
know whether it will be an FBK-esque homage fic or an independent story, for   
you see I have very little in the way of a plan, we'll just see how it goes mm?  
I'm sort of using some fanfic constants in this, lifted from several fics by   
Sniper, FBK, Tifu and Parsec, if anyone feels that they are being infringed   
upon by me then tell me how to correct the error before flaming me to death,   
sorry for being lazy ^_^;  
  
Butch's wet form hovered in through the back door; face red and a large   
bruise forming. He couldn't bear the weight of her words; each one was a   
shard of glass in his mind. He floated up the stairs silently, an occasional sob   
making his chest heave. The guys and girls had been in the front room and   
he made it to the bedroom undetected. He slumped down onto his bed,   
feeling slightly guilty for feeling so bad, considering his resurrection at the   
hands of Mojo, his rehabilitation and adoption by Miss Keane, or Mom as he   
now called her. He had much to be thankful for, but the fact he should be   
grateful was just another facet of the large and looming sadness within him.   
He put on his MP3 player, playing melancholy tunes such as Outside into his   
ears, tears streaking his face and soaking into the pillow. Any other sorrow,   
any other pain he'd have taken it out on some robber, some criminal, but this   
pain was too personal, to acute, and to him it was all his fault.  
  
Buttercup wasn't feeling much better as she sat on the cliff overlooking the   
bay. This was where she came when she had to think or she was really   
angry; the smashed stumps of fallen trees were testament to her wrath   
unbridled. It was a cruel design that life seemed to draw for her, one of   
responsibility and emotion at a time of life when fun and discovery were   
supposed to be paramount. She cursed her nature, more that of an impulsive   
teenager than of a five year old girl. And Butch? Did she really hate him?   
Was she just scared? Was this a cheesy, soap opera angst trip? She   
decided to pull herself together, having shaken off the shock of his outburst.   
She just decided to hope it blew over, that he was hallucinating or insane. Of   
course she was just running away, but if you'd have told her she'd have said "I   
never run away", so this was her way of getting round the problem. She flew   
back to the boys' house and came in through the door quietly. Her sisters,   
who were engrossed in the episode of Invader Zim they were watching, just   
said a simple "Hi" and let her sit down.  
  
As the boys had separate rooms, nobody disturbed Butch for a while, until a   
concerned query to Buttercup about his location prompted them to check his   
room. He seemed motionless, save the juddering rise and fall of his   
breathing, as he lay huddled on his bed. How You Remind Me filtered in tinny   
tones from his headphones. It'd been over an hour since he'd come back and   
he was still sobbing. It was Boomer who discovered him, in his prone state.   
Gingerly, the tow headed ruff entered the room and looked down at his   
concerned brother, laying a mitt gently on his shoulder.  
"Dude? You OK? You look ill." He didn't respond, other than a listless   
shrug that didn't even dislodge his brother's hand. A muffled, mournful sound   
came from Butch; that could be just about discerned as speech.  
"Leave me alone." he seemed totally apathetic, prone. Boomer sat on the   
edge of the bed, looking over at his brother.  
"What's up bro? C'mon, just between you and me?" Still only juddering   
breaths. A stirring saw the corner of the large, bloodshot, deep green eye   
check the door. Seeing it was securely shut, Butch hoisted himself upright,   
taking out his earphones and facing Boomer.  
"So.what's got you in such a state, man?" Boomer looked on, concern   
written in his gaze, and he already had an inkling of what the problem was.   
Butch just looked at him, eyes as blank as they were red. He just fell forward   
slowly, his brother catching him, and giving him a slightly uncomfortable hug.   
He simply stated the facts.  
"I told her.now she hates me." Boomer, who had been sceptical about the   
apparent over-acting, reflected on what it would feel like for Bubbles to tell him   
she not only didn't love him, but hated his guts as well. The thought nestled   
in his gut like a lump of ice, and suddenly he felt very sorry for his brother. He   
knew how deep these feelings ran, how the girls and the boys were inexorably   
bound by their mutual births, accelerated mental states and having "grown up   
fast". A casual observer would see childish crushes and equally childish   
reactions, but for Butch, whom fate had decided to dick around with, there   
was shredding machine where his heart should have been, and his sibling   
knew this.  
"Shhh, she doesn't hate you dude.she just wasn't ready" His words were low   
and soothing. "Just give it time to cool down. Anyway, imagine if Brick saw   
you like this, like some dick in Dawson's Crack?" Butch seemed to convulse   
in what seemed to be a chuckle mingled with a sob and a hiccup. "It's meant   
to be, just be confident in that, dude. So, stop bawling like a bitch with a   
skinned knee! Who's the baddest ruff?" Butch didn't reply. "I can't hear you,   
who's the meanest, toughest, hardest mofo on the team? Who's the one that   
the Grim Reaper himself couldn't put down? Who eats criminals for   
breakfast?" Butch replied weakly  
"Me."  
"Damn skippy it's you! And if you're gonna mope like this then your rep's   
dead in the water. You, who held a train line together and had the cars run   
over you, who put himself in the path of a fire-breathing dragon, who took   
Mojoke to the cleaners? You're going to let a little setback like this cut you   
down?"  
"No.I guess not"  
"That's more like it" And then Butch managed a weak smile.  
  
The green duo didn't so much as look at each other for a week or more. At   
school they sat at different tables, ate lunch separately and Butch always   
hung back, letting the Puffs and his brothers shoot away before going after   
them. His initial anguish had settled into a dull melancholy, and the fact that   
he had to see her every day was more than a kick in the teeth. What was   
worse, he began to get snappy at Boomer, of whom he was jealous. All that   
giggling and fawning was annoying before, because it was so sissified and   
sickeningly saccharine. Now it was annoying because he wanted the same   
thing, and couldn't have it. He wasn't brooding on it as much as he had been,   
and crime fighting allowed him some release. He'd hospitalised two robbers   
when they resisted arrest and shot at him, his temper did get the better of him   
by times. However, love, loss, crime, responsibility and childhood tainted   
didn't spoil his appetite, as he chowed down on his third cheeseburger at   
dinner in the new Keane family home. More modest than the Utonium   
household it was a two story in the same suburb, Pokey Oaks. The   
kitchen/diner was kept moderately clean, and the boys did have to clean their   
rooms weekly, but Miss Keane was now a working mother, and therefore was   
a little rushed sometimes. That was why they tucked into take-out every   
Friday, so she could recharge her batteries.  
"Wuff weh dumph tuffmuufah?" That was Boomer asking what the following   
day's itinerary would be, through a mouthful of burger.  
"Sllllluuuurrrrp.AGH!" That was Brick, attempting to reply, but getting a   
milkshake induced headache instead. And so the conversation ended until   
they finished.  
"I thought we might pay the girls a visit, go to the park or something. It sucks   
that we only see them at school and when we've got to fight. So, we can kick   
their sissy asses at soccer tomorrow!" Brick smiled as he slumped down on   
the couch.  
"I hear that bro, so we're friends now, and I love one of 'em, but they're still   
sissies and we gots to kick some ass!" Boomer did tend to get into the   
competitive spirit quite quickly.  
"Eeeh.I dunno guys." Butch looked to sag rather than sit on the sofa.  
"Aww, c'mon dude! You know you want to get some Puff ass!" Brick slapped   
his brother on the arm.  
"Kinda." Butch almost laughed at the fact that the 'ass' that his brother was   
referring to was of a less metaphorical sort.  
"C'mon dude, it's cool, they ain't gonna bite ya." Boomer was soothing in his   
words, and by 'they' he meant 'she', and by 'she' he meant 'Buttercup'. He   
hadn't been too happy about the green Puffs reaction to his brother, and   
would have at least expected a little more diplomacy from her. Such is the   
peril of putting a five-year-old psyche in a fifteen-year-old situation with a   
twenty year olds experience of life and a one year olds experience of love.   
Dangerous mix. However, the magical power of subtext persuaded Butch to   
face his hauntings.  
"Yeah.OK.sounds fun." Upbeat was hard when saying 'sounds fun' rather   
than 'sounds like chewing broken glass'.  
  
The night rolled on, and the meridian line sped round the world, lopping off   
slices of daily bread. And so the boys got up, washed, dressed, ate, and left   
for the park. As was the norm for such situations, and perhaps slightly clich‚,   
the sun was shining brightly, birds were singing and that weekend feeling   
permeated everything.  
Butch didn't feel quite as sunny.  
In fact, he felt like he'd just been sick, an empty sinking pit was leering up at   
him from where his stomach was supposed to be. They were just going to   
hook up with the girls, play a bit of catch and maybe grab a movie. The   
inclusion of a "beeper" system for emergencies allowed the six super powered   
kids to go and enjoy a Saturday, rather than staying at home to watch a   
smiley faced phone all day. The girls were already there. waiting for them,   
and it took a little effort for Butch to stay behind his brothers and touch down   
on the field. For a second, there was an awkwardness in the air, the blonde   
and brunette counterparts seemed a little ill at ease for a moment, before   
Bubbles switched her worried expression for a happy one.  
"Hey guys! Hiya Boomie, we gonna play?" Butch breathed a sigh, and   
guessed the Buttercup was doing the same thing. A distraction, not having to   
say too much to each other for now, while still having fun with the others.   
Buttercup and Butch immediately set out some goals and stood adamantly at   
their lines, a good 20 metres separating them, which was how they liked it at   
the moment.  
The game was only into its tenth minute before a shrill beeping brought a halt   
to play. It was a message from the Mayor, and Blossom read it aloud.  
"Giant monster in town, burning buildings with its eyes, help. Okay, let's move   
out!" She shot into the air, her sisters flanking her, and the boys followed in   
similar formation. Six streaks headed at best speed toward the centre of   
town, where a large, mantis like beast was cutting swathes through buildings   
with its claws and carving deep scores with beams emitted from its eyes. The   
two groups split off, circling round to attack from both sides but, as was   
usually the case, Buttercup sped off ahead to get an early shot in. Butch had   
anticipated this and flown out wide and fast to back her up if needs be. And   
needs did be. She didn't realise that the beast's head could completely   
swivel, and soon she was under its gaze. And not even superheroes cope   
well with a laser that can cut a building in half. If it were a movie, everything   
would slow down into "bullet-time". Butch streaked toward Buttercup, who   
had barely been able to stop her charge toward the monster before it would   
get a shot off, let alone duck out of the way. None too graciously, Butch   
slammed into her, wrapping his arms around her neck and rocketing up and   
away from the monster. He was about to relax his grip on her when he felt his   
whole back warm up. Within a half a second, every pain receptor from his   
neck to his legs was screaming out at him. He launched himself further up,   
but couldn't escape the beam, and he couldn't let Buttercup go. If she got   
badly hurt, he'd never be able to live with himself.  
"NNNGGGYYYAAAAAAAHHH!" He screamed out, seconds passing like   
hours. And all of a sudden, the burning ended. He could only assume that   
the rest of the gang had taken the monster out. He released his grip on   
Buttercup, who seemed unharmed. Then her image, one he'd thought of so   
often, blurred and shifted, fading to black, and the last thing he felt was the   
sensation of falling.  
"Whuh...what happened? Butch?" Buttercup looked for the boy who'd been   
clamped round her not a second ago. And then her peripheral vision spotted   
his plummeting form. The others were busy finishing off the mantis, and he   
was falling fast. She put herself into a suicide dive, screaming toward the   
floor, he was almost in reach. Just a few more centimetres. WHAM! He hit   
the floor like a sack of bricks, and she barely had time to slow down before   
slamming to a stop beside him. Her hands and knees had left cracks in the   
road where she'd landed, but such trivial matters did not concern her now. He   
was on his back, seemingly unhurt but unconscious, until she noticed the   
smell. There was no mistaking the horrid stench of charred flesh. She knelt   
over him, lifting his shoulder gently, and seeing the damage that had been   
done. His whole back was red and pink, pitted and blackened in places   
where his clothing had melted. She gasped and gingerly lifted him up, flying   
over to the fallen monster and the rest of the team.  
"GUYS! It's Butch! He's hurt bad!" They all crowded round, Blossom   
inspecting his wounds.  
"We've got to get him to the Professor. He'll know what to do." And they all   
took off, Buttercup still carrying Butch in her arms, his arms and legs hanging   
limply. He was surprisingly light, like a large rag doll, but his breathing was   
shallow and laboured. Suddenly, his eyes flickered open for a second.  
"Ugh...are you an angel...?" And he collapsed again.  
  
"Hmm, yes, these burns are quite severe, but they'll heal nicely once I've   
treated them. You girls and boys are made of sterner stuff than pretty much   
anything else on the planet." The Professor set about cleaning Butch's back,   
having given him a sedative. The others, content at the Professors diagnosis,   
went downstairs, but Buttercup stayed, perched on the side of the bed, the   
girls' bed, on which Butch was laid, face down. The Professor daubed   
ointment on his back, peeled off charred skin and put dressings on his back.  
"Buttercup, can you give me a hand to sit him up? Hold his head for me,   
that's right." They got him into a sitting position, and the Professor wrapped   
gauze around his midriff, so it looked like he was wearing a sleeveless shirt   
made of bandages. Then, they laid him gingerly down, and the Professor   
went to call Miss Keane.  
"Well" said Buttercup "alone at last, I guess." She sighed wistfully, looking   
down upon Butch. He looked tiny, she'd never appreciated how big the bed   
was in comparison until now. With him lying in the centre, the bed seemed to   
stretch out around him, making him look very vulnerable indeed. She put her   
mitt to his forehead, it was wet with perspiration and his facial muscles were   
taut, as if he was grimacing in his sleep. She flew to the bathroom and wet a   
flannel, mopping his head. He seemed to relax under this ministration, and   
she felt a sense of achievement at her nursing technique.  
She thought back to the seconds after he stood in the way of the blast, when   
he fell limply from her grasp and she'd not been able to stop him slamming   
into the floor. She felt guilty as hell that the last thing she'd said to him,   
directly, was that she hated him. What was she thinking? They were best   
friends! And therein lay the problem. The rapid chain of events from their   
resurrection, to their repentance to their friendship with her and her sisters   
was a bit much for her. And then, for him to go confessing his love? Well, it   
was time for the patented "Get angry to defend yourself" thing. And the worst   
thing was, when she caught a glimpse of those big green eyes, looking up at   
her like some expectant pet, she knew he'd been sincere, and that scared her   
even more. She was five...FIVE...this stuff should have had to wait for at least   
another decade, but no, nothing was ever simple for her, easy wasn't the   
Powerpuff way. She leaned close to his ear and whispered.  
"I'm so sorry for what I said Butch, I didn't mean it. I'm just confused, and I'm   
gonna need some time." He didn't even twitch. How could she be so   
cowardly? Why couldn't she deal with this in a rational way? She could take   
on monsters and bad guys and threats to civilization as we know it until the   
cows came home. But a little bit of emotional turmoil and she was running   
relationships and getting people hurt because she was scared. She hovered   
up and away from him, leaving him to his rest.  
  
A couple of days were all it took for Butch to heal completely, and he was as   
chipper, blunt and brash as ever. Hovering into the schoolroom, he looked   
like he used to do, in with his brothers, sniggering about something or other.   
Gone was the melancholy moper, listlessly listening to Miss Keane teach. At   
recess, he hovered openly over to Buttercup, who was building walls in the   
sand pit, just to knock them down again. She jumped, then looked down,   
when he came over.  
"Hey, Buttercup, can we talk?" He smiled at her.  
"Uhm...sure..."  
"Well, I just wanted to say that I didn't want to push you anywhere you didn't   
want to go, it just sorta poured out. Friends?" She pondered this short, open   
appraisal of his actions with some awe. Serious courage was needed for this,   
she could have gotten angry and decked him again.  
"Sure, hey, wanna build a fortress here?"  
"Cool, but one more thing."  
"Mmm?"  
"Apology accepted..." 


End file.
